Groom avoids jail after headbutting unwanted guests at lavish Wolverhampton wedding
A groom who headbutted two unwanted guests at his wedding has been sentenced for affray.
However, the judge sentencing Naresh Chopra after seeing the headbutts on CCTV said they were "hardly a Glasgow kiss" and told the "industrious" defendant he would not be going to prison.
Chopra's lavish wedding at Wolverhampton's Park Hall Hotel, which is currently being used as a Nightingale Court, was in March 2019.
After spotting two men, who had been invited by a friend, taking photos from the gallery Chopra marched up to them where he headbutted one but missed another.
Shortly afterwards Chopra and others followed them to the car park where there was a melee in which the men were injured.
However, Chopra denied he was involved in that fight and pleaded guilty to affray on the first day of a proposed trial.
Prosecutor Catherine Ravenscroft said: "The two victims were cousins who attended the wedding after being invited by a friend.
"A fireworks display was planned for 8pm, shortly before the fireworks the groom saw them standing on the gallery taking photos.
"He made his way to them and then proceeded to headbutt one in face, and tried to headbutt another. He can clearly be seen doing this on CCTV."
She added: "Shortly after he followed the men outside with other unknown men, and the victims sustained injuries. However, the Crown has accepted his guilty plea concerning what happened inside the wedding, not outside."
In mitigation Chopra's lawyer, Holly Simms, said: "He has never been in trouble before. He has been a hardworking man all his life.
"A myriad of people from throughout the community have said how out of character this incident was.
The 32-year-old, from Cumberland Road, was given a 12-month discharge and will have to pay a community surcharge to the court.
Recorder Patrick Upward told the defendant: "Normally the charge of affray would carry a custodial sentence, however, in your case I am willing to make an exception.
"Weddings can be very emotional, and as this happened more than four years ago and you have not previously or since been in trouble with the law then I believe this matter should be brought to an end with a conditional discharge."
He added: "You are obviously a hard working and industrious man, however, if you do get in trouble within the next 12 months you shall be brought before this court again."
In October 2019 another wedding at Park Hall Hotel hit the headlines after a mass brawl was captured on video and went viral on the internet.